Wheat-variety hull, also called bran, is attracting attention as a material of health foods, since it is rich in insoluble dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and the like. Whole wheat flour obtained by milling whole wheat grains including their hulls is reported to have a hypotensive effect and an abdominal fat reducing effect, and also reported to reduce risk of mortality of diabetic patients.
In baked confectionery made from wheat flour as a main ingredient, such as cookies, biscuits and low-calorie snack bars, soft and smooth food texture is generally favored. On the other hand, when attempts were made to enhance health functionality by blending a powder rich in insoluble dietary fiber, such as bran, into dough prepared using wheat flour, the food texture of the baked confectionery obtained by baking the dough becomes hard and also increased in roughness and foreign taste, so that baked confectionery having preferred taste could not be obtained.